Wednesday, September 24, 2008

AZ Tower Recuperating After Being Shot

As a tow truck driver, Jesse Vasquez always worried about being hit by a car. Being shot on the job never crossed his mind.

Sitting in a wheelchair at John C. Lincoln hospital, Vasquez remembered last Sunday night when a man opened fire on him.

Vasquez had just towed the man's car to his home near 35th Avenue and Thunderbird Road, and was running a credit card to pay for the $154 bill when, out of the blue, the car owner started shooting at him.

"I looked in the mirror, in my rear view mirror, and he's pointing a gun right at me. He starts unloading and the second shot hits me," recalled Vasquez.

Jesse Corman, 28, faces attempted murder charges.

Vasquez said he is lucky he survived after being shot three times. He was struck once in the lower leg and twice in lower back, hip area.

"I felt the wind from the bullet come right by my head," said Vasquez. "He almost took me away from my kids."

Initial reports indicated Corman shot at Vasquez because he was upset about the tow truck bill. However, Vasquez said he saw no sign of that.

"He didn't give me any indication he was mad. If anything, he said he was gonna pay the bill."

Despite the shooting, Vasquez said he will still likely return to his job as a tow driver calling what happened random.

After the shooting, Corman barricaded himself inside his home.

During the standoff, police said Corman lit fireworks and pointed them in the direction of a police helicopter. No damage was done to the helicopter.

The suspect remained barricaded inside the home and refused to come out until about 11 p.m.

Police said neighbors convinced Corman to come out of the house peacefully, with his hands up.

Corman also faces charges of endangerment, discharging a weapon within the city and aiming a laser pointer at an officer.

Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.